by Dhaval Gajera
We all know TV is helpful to us in many ways. But with more and more competition among channels and media, it has turned into a tool for a waste of time. However, very few people watch TV for any beneficial reason.
Most of the people out there just watch TV to relieve their stress, for the sake of habit or for entertainment. While there is nothing wrong with these things, when you become addicted to TV you waste your most important time on reality shows and nonsense news rather than on productive things. And if you are like most people who are addicted to TV and want an alternative to break your habit, here are 10 alternate things you can do instead of sitting on the couch and watching TV.
1. Read a book/newspaper.
Read an interesting book on your topic of interest. At least you’ll learn something useful related to your area of interest. Read a newspaper so that you can find out new things happening in your city or any event about to take place. This way, you’ll learn more about the real world surrounding you rather than just virtual world.
2. Call a friend.
Making new friends is very easy but what matters is maintaining that friendship. Call a friend whom you haven’t talked for a long time or follow up with someone who you met last week/last month. Reminding them that you care will not only bring a smile to their face but strengthen your relationship.
3. De-clutter/organize/clean your home.
Your home is your heaven. There is no place on Earth as good as your own home. We feel the safest in the world at this place. So next time instead of sitting in your couch, clean your home. If it’s already clean, then organize it. If that’s also done, then de-clutter and remove things you don’t want. You’ll be more relieved when you own fewer things. Clean, organized and few things will help you focus on other important things in your life.
4. Join a class.
Join a hobby or activity class like music, dance, yoga, swimming, etc. There are a number of activities going on in your surroundings. Step out and learn something new. Your future self will thank you for it.
5. Teach someone what you know.
No matter how dumb you think you are, you can always teach someone something that you know, whether it be cooking or teaching on a particular school subject. If you think you are not smart enough to teach, think again. You can always teach people younger than you about what you’ve learned till now. Don’t hold yourself back. Go out there and make a difference. Your confidence will sky rocket once you do this and it’s very easy.
6. Visit someone.
Visit a relative or a friend of yours. Calling on the phone and visiting someone actually is a lot different. This way of approaching people, just to know about their lives or to know about their health matters a lot to them. Don’t procrastinate. It’ll compensate 10 times more than your missed TV show.
7. Rethink your goals.
The goals you make in life changes as time passes. Today is the best time to revisit your goals. Think of why you made them, add any new goals to your list, think of what has been done and what needs to be done to accomplish them. It’ll motivate you to work more and inspire you to make them come true.
8. Organize a gathering.
You don’t need to organize an expensive picnic or outing to get together. Call your friends and organize a gathering at your home. Get together and relive old memories. The warmth and laughter of people around you and their support is better than all the celebrities you admire and who you’ll never meet or even know in this lifetime.
9. Do something outside your comfort zone.
Do one thing every day that scares you. It can be asking for extra time off from work, asking out a guy/girl, making that bold move in your business, or taking a courageous step in face of uncertainty. I know that will not take 2-3 hours but the amount of preparation you’ll need to take these steps will definitely cost you hour, as you’ll be acting against your comfort zone. But that time invested in fear and acting against it will take you far ahead in life.
10. Reach out the people ahead in your field.
We all have someone that we admire in our field. Your job is to learn from their failure and their success. Reach out to them either physically or virtually and pick their brain. You’ll be surprised at the amount of knowledge and information you get by just listening to them for 30 minutes.
Most of the people watch 2-3 hours of TV daily. Imagine if we only pick one hour daily to do the things mentioned above instead of TV. How would your life change over a course of few months/years?
